


Saudade

by Nami



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Devil Trigger (Devil May Cry), Fluff and Angst, M/M, No Incest, Nudity, Screenplay/Script Format, Transformation, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 12:22:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20760299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nami/pseuds/Nami
Summary: A play in three acts about an evil wizard, a compassionate hunter, and a too human demon.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I had a fever when an idea for this fic came to my mind and that should tell you all about it. Written for day #2 of [Danero week](https://twitter.com/daneroweek), prompt: red queen and roses. 
> 
> I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it :) Big, big "thank you" to tako for betaining this fic ♥

**Prologue**

_There is a festival in the city. Everyone celebrates the 21_ _ th _ _ birthday of the prince. In the castle is a ball for aristocracy. The king and queen are sitting on their thrones, watching from above as their son receives gifts from guests from neighbouring countries._

_The prince smiles politely at everyone, but privately he wishes he could be outside, hunting. His father gave him a beautiful sword – it’s quite long, almost as tall as the prince, with a curve at its end and a red handle – which the prince immediately put on his back, and he is itching to try it out. The prince is known for his hunting skills, and it is not a secret that he often hunts the demons who terrorize his people. People speak that the prince is just as dangerous as he is beautiful, with unusually light hair and eyes the colour of a summer’s sky._

_Another guest comes to the prince. He’s an older man, dressed in wizard robes, and the prince snaps to attention, knowing he should behave at his best in front of a wizard. He doesn’t remember any wizards being invited and out of the corner of his eye, he sees that his parents look on the verge of worry._

Wizard:

“My lord! Please, accept my sincere wishes on this day of happiness. May a lucky star always shine upon you.”

Prince:

“Thank you, o, wise one.”

Wizard:

“As you are of age, I am coming here with an offer for you.”

_The prince hesitates. The king stands up and the guards grip their swords more tightly ._

King:

“Forgive us, o, wise one, but today, we do not wish to deal with offers. Your wishes are a blessing and –”

_The wizard raises his hand and the king quietens._

Wizard:

“It is nothing that requires too much effort, your highness. You see, I have a daughter and I would like if you two could meet.”

_The prince takes a step back, furiously shaking his head. It is not a secret that dealing with families of wizards was a bad idea. _

Prince:

“I do not wish to offend you, but I am not interested.”

_The wizard stops smiling and his face goes blank._

Wizard:

“You have yet to meet her, my lord.”

_The queen stands up too, putting a hand on her husband’s shoulder. The king smiles at her reassuringly. _

Queen:

“You are overstepping the line, o, wise one. I suggest we finish this talk later, after the birthday party ends.”

Wizard:

“Later? After your son runs after demons again?”

_The music band stops playing. The prince doesn’t notice how atmosphere in the room gets more tense. _

Prince:

“At least killing demons is interesting.”

Wizard:

“You should reconsider your words, little prince.”

_The prince bristles._

Prince:

“I’m not a child. I said I’m not interested already. I have better things to do than to accept your offer.”

_The king pales._

King:

“Son, I don’t think—”

Prince:

“Father! I have already promised hunters from the North to help them with rogue demons, I don’t have time for anything else.”

_The wizard’s face darkness and the prince realizes his mistake. The wizard suddenly has a long wand in his hand. He aims it at the prince who pales and reaches for his sword, but he’s not quick enough. A light from the wand engulfs him and he screams._

Wizard:

“If you love these heartless creatures more than humans, you should join them!”

_The king waves at the guards to attack the wizard. He runs to him too, drawing his sword but before he reaches the wizard, the old man disappears, his laughter echoing in the room. A light fades away from the still form of the prince laying on the floor._

_The king stops in his run, watching his son with wide eyes. Behind him, the queen sits heavily on the throne as if knocked back, her features twisted in horror._

_The body of the prince stirs and guests starts screaming, crowding at the door to run away._


	2. The beginning

**Act I, Scene 1**

_We are at an old inn in a small town. It is unusually quiet, there are only a few people sitting around a table in the corner of the room. The innkeeper isn’t happy; he’s wiping the already clean counter, thinking about how little money he will earn today._

_The door to the tavern opens suddenly and a tall man with white hair and a red coat walks inside. He glances at the people sitting in the corner and then walks to the counter, smiling charmingly. When the host looks at him, he sees a handle of a sword above the man’s shoulder._

Innkeeper:

“Would you want to order something?”

_The stranger sits on a stool in front of the host._

The Man in Red:

“Do you have crushed ice with strawberry juice?”

_The host glares at the newcomer, his lips twisting in disgust._

Innkeeper:

“We don’t have big city things like that here.”

The Man in Red:

“Too bad. I don’t want to trouble you, sir, but I was hired to deal with a demon nearby and I thought I could ask locals about how it behaves.”

_One of the men sitting in the corner hisses._

Local man:

“It behaves like a beast! I lost two cows because of him!”

_Other men nod, each of them starts to lament how much of their herd they have lost so far. The man in red turns to them, listening to them carefully._

The Man in Red:

“I heard it attacks animals. Did it attack any people?”

Innkeeper:

“Not yet. But people are afraid that it may happen.”

_Suddenly, the door to the tavern opens again. A man covered in blood runs inside. He’s looking at everyone with wide eyes, trembling._

Local man:

“Gregory!”

_Everyone stands up and go to the newcomer. The bloodied man falls onto his knees, still trembling._

Gregory:

“I saw it! I was with my dogs in the woods when I saw it! It attacked me and my dogs... My poor dogs...”

_The man in red kneels in front of him. He isn’t smiling anymore. _

The Man in Red:

“Did that demon attack you?”

Gregory:

“It tried but my dogs saved me. They hurt it and... and it’s their blood.”

_The man in red nods to himself._

The Man in Red:

“I’m going into the woods immediately. You should tell other villagers to stay out of it until I return.”

One of locals:

“What if you don’t return?”

_The man in red throws his head back and laughs. Everyone look at with, surprised._

The Man in Red:

“There is no demon who will survive against my sword. My name is Dante and I promise you, I will make sure that demon doesn’t attack anyone else.”

**Act I, Scene 2**

_Dante is walking slowly through the woods. He looks uninterested, but his gaze is sharp. Animals get more and more quiet around him and soon he’s surrounded by a complete silence. He stops every few meters, cocking his head as if listening to something, and then he walks again. It’s becoming darker and darker. _

_Dante stops in front of an enormous oak. He puts his hands on his hips and raises his head to look up._

Dante:

“Are you going down or do I have to make you?”

_It is quiet for a moment longer before leaves of the oak rustle. There is no wind. Something hits the ground on the other side of the tree and starts running. Dante grabs his sword and starts running too. All he sees is a blurry shadow in front of him._

_Dante runs into a meadow. He sees a flicker of blue between trees on the other side but before he can go into that direction, something dark starts materializing in the middle of a meadow._

Dante:

“Another demon? Just how many of you are there?”

_The new demon is a big, bulging mass of muscles, thorns, and fangs. It focuses its eyes on Dante and attacks him. Surprisingly, Dante easily stops the attack with his sword. The demon hiding between trees doesn’t run, but instead watches how Dante is fighting the other demon. _

_Dante uses a sword and two guns to fight the beast. He manages to put the demon down by slitting its throat clean. _

_Dante turns to the other demon, licking the blood on his lips. _

Dante: 

“You should have run.”

_Dante doesn’t realize how the corpse of the demon doesn’t disappear but gets bigger and bigger, like a balloon. An alarmed scream makes him turn around just in time to see the corpse exploding. Dante raises his hands up, trying to cover his face with arms that are suddenly covered in scales, but he gets knocked over by the blast of exploding demon, hitting his head hard against stones on the ground. _

_After a few minutes of stillness, the demon from the woods enters the meadow. It walks slowly to Dante, looking at him and his scaled arms with curiosity. The demon stops by the hunter and kneels down, looking at the pool of blood around Dante’s head._

_Slowly, the demon hauls Dante up. A half-transparent wing appears on the demon’s back and it grabs Dante’s sword. _

_He turns towards the woods and starts running again, clutching Dante’s body to himself._

**End of Act I**


	3. The middle

**Act II, Scene 1**

_We are in a cave. Dante is laying on a makeshift bed. He is covered with a fur, a bandage is wrapped around his head. It’s dark but someone left a single candle close to the bedding which gives just enough light to illuminate Dante’s face and not much else._

_Dante stirs. He opens his eyes slowly, confusion written all over his face. When he tries to reach his head he realizes his wrists are bound with a heavy rope._

Dante:

“I’ve woken up in better places.”

_Dante turns his head, trying to see through the darkness in the cave. He sees a contour of another creature on the other side of the cave and he smirks._

Dante:

“Aren’t you going to show yourself to me?”

_It’s quiet for a moment longer, before one of the shadows moves. Dante observes how it comes closer, taking the shape of a familiar looking demon. _

_It’s tall, easily taller than Dante, with blue skin and yellow eyes. It has warped thorns which look like a crown sitting over long, silvery hair._

_The man and the demon stare at each other. Dante raises his bound wrists._

Dante:

“Think you can take it off?”

_The demon shakes its head slowly. It points its finger at Dante and then at its own head. Dante frowns._

Dante:

“Are you asking if my head hurts?”

_The demon nods. Dante looks surprised._

Dante:

“It doesn’t. I’m hard to kill, you know?”

_The demon just continues staring at Dante. Dante sits up slowly, observing demon’s reactions but when there is none, he stretches his legs in front of himself and his arms up, leaning against the wall. The fur blanket falls from him and it’s when Dante realizes he isn’t wearing a shirt._

Dante:

“Did you strip me, you pervert?”

_The demon straightens, showing its fangs, a low growl resonates through the cave. It opens its mouth and Dante visibly braces himself for an attack._

Demon:

“Next time, I’ll let you die.”

_The demon’s voice is very rough like it hasn’t spoken in a while. Dante’s eyes widen and his jaw slackens for a second before he regains his composure._

Dante:

“You talk! It’s rare to hear demons talk.”

Demon:

“Maybe you kill them before they have a chance to speak.”

_Dante shrugs. _

Dante:

“They always have enough time to beg for their lives.”

_The demon growls again but doesn’t attack. It kneels down, bringing itself to Dante’s level._

Demon:

“I saw your arms in the woods.”

_Dante’s eyes narrow._

“Were they floating there on their own?”

_The demon snarls, clenching its hands into fists. _

Demon:

“Don’t play with me!”

_It sounds surprisingly young and almost hurt._

“Your arms turned into demons’ arms before the explosion. But now they look human again.”

_The demon stares with fascination at Dante’s naked arms._

“How did you do it?”

_Dante doesn’t speak, just look at the demon with closed off face. _

Dante:

“Why should I tell you? So that you can turn into a human and attack people?”

Demon:

“Yes! Wait, no!”

_The demon howls in frustration, grabbing at his hair._

“I don’t want to hurt humans!”

Dante:

“I saw a man in the tavern covered in blood of his dogs. He said you attacked them. Other people said you attacked their cattle.”

_He leans towards the demon with a serious expression._

“Why should I believe you?”

_The demon stares at the ground, his shoulders tense. When he speaks, he sounds very tired._

Demon:

“I didn’t attack anyone, humans or animals. It was one of the demons you fought in the woods.”

_Dante snorts._

Dante:

“What are you, a pacifist demon?”

_Demon looks up at Dante with burning eyes, his shoulders dropping. It’s sadness looks human, almost, and Dante feels a pang of hurt in his chest._

Demon:

“It’s no use, you won’t help me.”

_It stands up, looking away from Dante. Dante stares with fascination how weak light of the candle illuminates demon’s long hair. _

Dante:

“I didn’t say that. I just want to know why were you interested.”

_The demon rocks on its heels as if it’s not sure if it should speak. Dante starts working on releasing his wrists when the demon starts speaking again._

Demon:

“I didn’t... I didn’t always look like this.”

_Dante raises his up to look at the demon, intrigued by its words._

Demon:

“I used to be a human but I—I insulted a wizard and he punished me.”

_The demon turns to Dante. Even with as little light as it is in the cave, Dante sees how demon looks sad._

Demon:

“When I saw you changing I thought maybe you could teach me how to look like a human again. I tried to transform on my own, I saw other powerful demons do that, but I could never succeed.”

_Something hard gets stuck in Dante’s throat. The demon is looking at him with so much hope; Dante feels he doesn’t deserve this kind of a trust from a creature he has been hired to kill._

Dante:

“I don’t think it’s possible, kid. If you haven’t managed to transform on your own the curse is too strong.”

Demon:

“But you changed! And you smell like a human!”

Dante, visibly hesitating:

“My father was a demon but my mom was a normal human. This is why I can change my appearance.”

_The demon’s shoulders slump again. Dante straightens, feeling bad for making the demon hurt. _

Dante:

“But if it’s a curse then it has conditions to fulfil to break it. Do you know them?”

_The demon nods. It sits on the ground, circling its arms around its knees and propping its head on them. A few silver strands fall onto its face and Dante almost reaches to brush them back._

Demon:

“I know them but they are— When I was changed, I went to look for the wizard. He told me I have to get my heart back. Don’t ask me how he did it but my chest is empty. I checked it.” 

_The demon laughs humourlessly._

“He keeps it in a case but I can never get close enough to his castle to get it back!”

_The demon snarls again, shaking from anger._

“I can’t even ask for help because everyone run away from me!”

Dante, gently:

“What about your parents?”

_The demon stiffens. _

Demon:

“My parents... I... I hid after going after that wizard the first time. He managed to hurt me a lot. When I woke up, everything... my country, the castle, my parents... everything was long gone.”

_Dante thinks for a moment. His wrists are finally free but the demon seem to not care about it._

Dante:

“It must be a long time ago. I can’t recall any stories about a human changed into a demon. You would think people would speak about something like that for a few centuries.”

_Dante moves on the bed, sliding closer to the demon._

Dante:

“Is this wizard still alive?”

Demon:

“He is. He lives nearby, which is why I came here. You know demons gather strength as they age and I’m more powerful than I was before... I thought I could get my heart back, but that bastard has a lot of anti-demons traps all over his place.”

_Dante suddenly grabs the demon by its shoulders and pulls it closer. He’s looking even more serious than before and there is something dangerous lurking behind his eyes. The demon can only look at him, surprised and mesmerized by how much power these human’s arms possess to move the demon easily like that._

Dante:

“You say he lives nearby?”

Demon:

“Y-yes. He moves into different places every few years.”

Dante:

“What is his name?”

_The demon licks its lips, obviously looking uncomfortable sharing this information._

Demon:

“It’s Sanctus.”

_Dante releases the demon and leans back again, cursing under his breath._

Dante:

“I was hired by an older man named Sanctus to kill a demon terrorizing people in the village.”

_The demon hisses._

“I haven’t terrorized anyone!”

_Dante looks at the demon, who blinks in surprise seeing how Dante’s eyes have become red._

Dante:

“I believe you now. And you know what? I’ll help you get your heart back. I don’t kill people and now I’m quite angry at that old fart. I thought something was off about him but I didn’t suspect he was a wizard.”

Demon:

“You will? But... but it may be dangerous.”

Dante:

“I don’t know if you noticed that, kid, but I’m a demon hunter. Me and danger are old lovers.”

_Dante laughs at his own joke but the demon scowls._

“Don’t call me ‘kid.’ I’m older than you.”

Dante:

“Sorry, sorry, it slipped, princess. But how old you were when you got cursed? And what’s your name?”

_The demon bites at its bottom lip before speaking. _

Demon:

“It’s Nero... and it’s a prince not princess. Call me that again and I’ll kick you, old man.”

_Dante ignores Nero, looking around himself._

Dante:

“As you wish, your highness. Now, tell me where my clothes and weapons are.”

Nero, with a touch of pink appearing on his cheeks:

“I hid your weapons in the cave next to this one. I didn’t want you to attack me.”

_Dante leers at him._

Dante:

“Oh? But what about my clothes? Did you see something you like?”

_Nero is blushing. He kicks the bedding and stands up._

Nero:

“Idiot! I had to check if you were hurt in the explosion! Next time, I’ll really let you bleed to death!”

Dante:

“Whatever you say, my prince. Give me my clothes now and we can go.”

Nero, surprised:

“You want to go to Sanctus now? Are you even prepared to fight a wizard?”

Dante, shrugging:

“One of my friends is a witch, I know a few tricks. We will have to visit a town and buy paper and quills, unless you have some?”

Nero:

“I have. But what about your wound? You were bleeding a lot, shouldn’t you rest more?”

_Dante stands up, letting go of the blanket. He smirks when he sees how Nero averts his eyes but he doesn’t tease the demon. He touches the wound under bandages with a hum._

Dante:

“One or two hours more and my wound will be gone. And it’s the best to go now, before Sanctus realizes I’m not hunting you anymore.”

_Dante grins. His teeth look more pointy than an ordinary human and Nero can’t help but stare at them, feeling for the first time in centuries like he’s not a predator but a _prey.

Dante:

“Surprise parties are the best, don’t you know it?”

**Act II, Scene 2**

_Sanctus’s castle. The old wizard is sitting in an empty chamber, meditating. In front of him lays an empty book; every now and then its pages rustle even if there is no wind._

_The wizard doesn’t move when he hears steps behind himself._

Sanctus:

“They are coming here.”

_The person behind him stops walking. It’s another wizard but unlike Sanctus’ black robes, this person is wearing white ones with gold embroidery_

The other wizard:

“You don’t seem surprised.”

Sanctus:

“I expected that child to try to attack me again.”

The other wizard:

“Your punishment is too cruel. The poor boy lost everything.”

Sanctus:

“He humiliated me in front of everyone by brushing off my offer like it was something insignificant. But wasn’t I right, my child? Didn’t that spoiled prince prefer the company of demons than humans? How would such a person have made a good king? So many years have passed and he still hasn’t done anything to show that he’s more than a mindless beast.”

_The hood of the other wizard’s robe shakes as if that person shook their head._

The other wizard:

“You don’t know that. He hunted demons, true, but he helped his people that way. I remember villages and town decorated with blue roses for every birthday of the prince. His people loved him.”

_Sanctus only sighs heavily. He opens his eyes, revealing milky irises – he’s blind and yet he touches blank pages of the book as if he can read them._

Sanctus:

“It’s an old argument, my child. The prince didn’t respect me and so I punished him. I played by your rules and gave him a way to show that he’s not corrupted like a demon and for what? Noone remembers his kingdom anymore, no-one remembers him. At this point killing him is a mercy.”

The other wizard:

“Is this why you hired Dante, father?”

Sanctus, nodding:

“I thought he would deal with the little prince quickly... but it seems they are both against me now.”

The other wizard, in a sad voice:

“Stop this madness before it’s too late. Release prince from the curse.”

Sanctus:

“You know that even I cannot do it, my child. This type of the curse cannot be broken.”

_Sanctus stands up, taking the book with him._

Sanctus:

“You should go now. My visitors are getting close and I need to prepare myself to greet them. This time the little prince isn’t going to run away.”

The other wizard:

“Are you going to kill him?”

Sanctus:

“He used to kill demons and now he’s one. How else do you think he should part with this world?”

The other wizard:

“He may fulfil the curse’s requirements. Nothing is certain yet.”

Sanctus:

“You’re a fool to still believe in Nero, child. But alas, you haven’t lived even for a two millennia yet. You will soon learn that humans don’t change.”

The other wizard:

“Maybe you have lived alone for too long, father. Humans can be quite surprising.”

Sanctus:

“Is that so? By tomorrow, we should see who is right.”

_The other wizard nods again. From under the hood we see the lower part of their face and how they’re smiling._

The other wizard:

“I promise to not be too happy when I win, father.”

**The end of Act II**


	4. The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest part - twice the length of previous chapters.

**Act III, Scene 1**

_It’s dusk when Dante and Nero leave the cave. Dante is walking confidently and so fast that Nero almost needs to run. Nero is dressed in a brown robe with a hood, and he’s hunching to make himself look smaller._

Dante:

“Are you sure you want to spend the night in town?”

Nero, nodding:

“It’s closer to Sanctus’ castle. We would be tired if we wanted to go straight to his castle.”

_Dante doesn’t respond. He doesn’t think they would be too tired; he feels that Nero is nervous and so he lets go of the subject._

Dante:

“You can move quick enough for humans not to see you, right?”

Nero:

“You know I can. You almost lost me before.”

Dante:

“Not true— but anyway, I think you should sneak into the city and wait at the roof of the inn for me.”

Nero, curious:

“Why?”

_Nero waits for the answer, wondering if Dante doesn’t want to ditch him._

Dante:

“That robe is good for masking your skin, and people who are far away won’t think you’re a demon, but up close you’re still too big to be a human. I’ll book us a room and open a window for you.”

_Nero thinks about Dante’s words. He sounds reasonable, and Nero himself have wondered if he would be able to go into the city unnoticed by people. _

Nero:

“All right, sounds like a plan. Will you want to make more spells?”

Dante, petting a pocket of his coat:

“Nah, I’m good. Sanctus is an old, strong wizard but I’m a good fighter and I can use some demon magic too. We will be good.”

_Dante raises his hand and pats Nero’s shoulder. Nero freezes feeling warmth of Dante’s hand even through the robe. Dante notices it._

Dante:

“... Sorry, I should have asked if you wanted to be touched.”

_Nero shakes his head, suddenly finding that it’s difficult to breathe._

Nero:

“It’s okay... I just... It’s been a while since anyone— I mean, everyone just screams when they see me and run away.”

_Dante puts his hands into the pockets of his pants, looking at Nero from the corner of his eye._

Dante:

“Well, you look like a creature known to hunt humans so that’s not surprising. But hey, if dad managed to find himself a girl, you can do it too!”

Nero, glaring at Dante:

“I’m sure _he_ could take a human shape.”

_Dante winces realizing that Nero is right._

Dante:

“Still, you’re not that bad-looking.”

_Hearing those words Nero stumbles and almost falls down. He pulls his hood back, looking at Dante as if Dante has gone crazy._

Nero:

“Do you find demons attractive— No, wait, don’t answer that. Pervert.”

_Dante feels how his cheeks go hot._

Dante:

“I don’t! I just... I’ve seen some really, fucking ugly demons, okay? You look the most human of them all. You even have _hair_.”

Nero, touching his head tentatively:

“Is it bad?”

Dante:

“No, just unexpected.”

_The urge to touch Nero’s hair is back and Dante mentally scolds himself for steering his thoughts into directory of touching any demon. He quickly changes the subject again._

Dante:

“Do you want a weapon? Sanctus paid me and I’ll gladly spend that money at the blacksmith’s place.”

Nero:

“I’m good with my hands. And I’m not sure if any normal swords would be good for me.”

Dante:

“I was thinking about a gun. I know they are not very popular here but it’d be useful.”

Nero, wincing:

“I prefer swords. If I’m lucky maybe Sanctus still have mine.”

Dante, surprised:

“Why would Sanctus have your sword?”

Nero: 

“When I attacked him the first time, he took it away from me. It was— it was a gift from my father.”

_Nero looks down, obviously uncomfortable speaking about his family. Dante cannot help himself and he moves closer to Nero, brushing his shoulder against demon’s in a what he thinks is a comforting way. Nero looks at him with a small smile, showing off his fangs._

Nero, continues:

“Dad called it ‘red queen’. I was more interested in hunting demons then and it was a joke because when dad was at my age he was already engaged to my mom. She loved red colour.”

Dante, smiling:

“So since your father had your mom then that sword was supposed to be your ‘red queen’, huh?”

Nero, flustered:

“I know it’s silly.”

Dante:

“I’ve heard worse stories. This is kind of cute.”

_Going through a dark forest makes it difficult to see each other, but Dante is sure Nero is blushing. He is willing to bet that Nero has been young, maybe in his early twenties, when Sanctus cursed him. _

Dante, thinking:

“It’s hard to see how someone so loved by his parents would irritate a wizard... On the other hand, wizards are a tricky breed. And Nero is sad again. Damn, Dante, you’re making this kid depressed.”

_Nero notices that Dante stares at him and he frowns, wondering why._

Nero:

“Is something wrong?”

Dante, with a devilish smile:

“Nothing. Just thinking I wouldn’t mind it that bad if you had your way with me after you stripped me in the cave.”

_Nero’s blue skin gets all red and Dante laughs loudly, avoiding getting hit by the demon. _

Dante, thinking:

“It’s much better when he gets flustered than when he’s sad. And he’s so fun to annoy!”

**Act III, Scene 2**

_At the inn._

Innkeeper:

“You really are back!”

Dante, shrugging:

“I told you I would return, didn’t I?”

_Dante notices how locals gather around him. _

Dante, thinking:

“I don’t have time to entertain them with stories right now. Too bad, I’d get so many free beers.”

Dante:

“The demon put on a fight but in the end h-it couldn’t kill him.”

_Dante winces mentally, realizing he almost called Nero ‘he’._

Dante, continues:

“I need a full night of rest. Do you have any free rooms, mister?”

Innkeeper, nodding with vigour:

“Yes! And it’ll be the best room in the house for the hero. Do you want me to send you dinner ?”

_Dante tries not to laugh at being called ‘hero’. Right as they’re speaking the demon he has “killed” is sitting at the roof of the inn._

Dante:

“I’d appreciate it. Make everything double, I’m hungry as hell.”

_Dante puts a pouch filled with coins on the counter and gives to the innkeeper twice as much as he should. He knows it will buy him best food and that he will really get double portions._

Dante:

“Could you show me the room?”

_The innkeeper waves as a boy peeking from the kitchen._

Innkeeper:

“My son will take you there. Sami, take mister Dante to the room with the balcony.”

_Dante raises his eyebrow. _

Dante, thinking:

“A room like that really should be nice. Looks like he didn’t joke about the best place here.”

_Dante walks behind the boy who shyly shows him the room. Dante gives him one of gold coins and then quickly closes himself in the room._

Dante, thinking:

“The old guy didn’t lie, it looks nice.”

_The room is spacious with a big, double bed, soft looking carpet, and a huge wardrobe with a mirror. Walls are painted in a warm shade of yellow, making the room feel cosy._

_Dante leaves his sword leaning against the desk and walks to the window. It’s already opened so he only pulls the lace curtains aside._

Dante:

“Man, I’m beat. I so want to go to sleep.”

_A moment later, the lace curtains flutter and Nero jumps into the room. He is quick, just like he said, but Dante can easily follow his moves._

_Nero looks around the room curiously, his gaze staying on the bed for the longest moment. _

Dante: 

“Missed sleeping in a bed?”

Nero:

“I don’t remember when was the last time I slept in one. I think I’m too heavy for that.”

_Nero sits at the floor, leaning his back against the bed. _

Nero, continues:

“I heard you ordered a dinner. Maybe take a shower before it arrives?”

Dante, teasingly:

“You want to see me naked again so much?”

Nero, blushing and hissing:

“No, you old pervert! Shouldn’t you take a bath after killing a demon?”

_Dante laughs quietly._

Dante:

“Sure, sure. I was going to take one.”

_Dante strips off his coat. He doesn’t see how Nero’s eyes linger on his chest and arms. _

Dante:

“I’ll be quick so you can hide in the bathroom before someone arrives with food.”

_Nero watches, terrified, how Dante takes off his shirt and trousers too as if without a care in the world. He turns head away, closing his eyes._

Nero, through clenched teeth:

“Do you have no shame?”

Dante:

“What? We’re both guys here.”

_Dante leaves the underwear on, smirking at how flustered Nero is. He doesn’t let himself think how he enjoys embarrassing the kid so much. He walks to the bathroom, snickering under his breath while Nero is glaring at his retreating back._

_Dante finishes taking a bath just in time when two waitresses arrive with big trays of food. Nero quickly hides in the bathroom while Dante lets women in and helps them put trays on the desk. They try to talk Dante into sharing a story of how he has defeated the demon from the wood, but Dante manages to make them leave quite fast._

Dante, whispering:

“You can come out. I hope you can digest human food.”

Nero, grimacing:

“Thankfully, I can. I wouldn’t stomach eating other demons.”

Dante, with his mouth full of potatoes:

“Or humans.”

_Nero looks at Dante seriously._

Nero: 

“If I had to eat humans to survive, I’d kill myself ages ago. Normally I don’t need to eat, but it’s good to store energy before a big fight, right?”

_Dante nods in answer, something in him trembling at Nero’s words. The more time he spends with Nero, the more Dante sees how human Nero is. It’s getting difficult for Dante to see a beast in front of him instead of a hurt person._

Dante:

“True. I don’t need to eat either, but people keep looking funny at you if you don’t want to eat after a whole day.”

_Dante fills a bowl with hot mushroom soup and pushes it towards Nero. Their hands touch but Dante doesn’t flinch, just smiles at the demon._

Dante:

“I couldn’t have asked for two sets of bowls and plates, so we have to manage.”

_Nero nods. He takes the bowl in both hands, and for a moment enjoys how warmth is it. He watches how Dante eats, feeling how his hand, which Dante has touched earlier, throbs. Dante treats him like a human and Nero feels his throat clenching and something in his chest squeezing at that thought. _

Nero, thinking:

“Of course he treats me like a human, he knows I’m one. Yet... even before he didn’t treat me like I was a mindless beast. He talked to me in the woods and after he woke up like I was an intelligent creature.”

_Nero feels warmth spreading through him. He starts eating too. He doesn’t feel any taste, but Dante makes little pleasing sounds and it’s enough for Nero to think that the food must be good._

_They eat quickly. Nero keeps throwing quick glances at Dante, intrigued by how much pleasure Dante can get from something so ordinary as eating. A few times Dante catches Nero’s stare and he smiles at him, which only makes something in Nero’s stomach fluster._

_Dante finishes eating first. He gets up from the chair and waltzes to the bed before falling onto it with a sight._

Dante:

“It’s so soft.”

_Dante looks at Nero, patting the spot next to him._

“The bed is sturdy, it shouldn’t break under your weight.”

_Nero walks closer, stopping at the end of the bed._

Nero:

“I don’t need sleep. The carpet is soft, I can sit on it.”

Dante, scowling:

“No way. You’re not some animal to sit on the floor. C’mon, just sit if you don’t want to sleep.”

_Nero hisses, confused._

Nero:

“What is wrong with you? Are you seriously trying to make a demon _sleep_ with you?”

_Dante shrugs, sliding under the duvet. He fluffies up the pillow without sparing Nero a glance._

Dante:

“Believe me, kid, you’d know if I tried to _sleep_ with you.”

_He nuzzles his face against the pillow and moans in content. It takes Nero a moment to understand the meaning of Dante’s words._

Nero:

“You’re a pervert, old man.”

_He tentatively sits on the bed. It groans under him a little. Dante turns his face towards Nero but his eyes are closed. _

_Nero observes him for a long moment. It’s been a long time since he was so close to another human being. Nero slowly lies down, never looking away from Dante’s face. He finds it mesmerizing for some reason._

_Nero startles when Dante suddenly reaches for him, holding a part of duvet. _

Dante, whispering:

“You should cover yourself.”

Nero, with suddenly clenched throat:

“I don’t feel cold.”

_Dante snorts, opening one eye. _

Dante:

“So what?”

_He takes Nero’s arm by his wrist and pulls him closer, until Nero takes the duvet from him and covers his left side with it. The duvet is too small for them both and Nero figures Dante should stay fully covered. _

_Nero feels himself relaxing against a soft mattress under him. For some reason Dante’s warm presence at his side helps him relax even more._

Dante, murmuring sleepily:

“Goodnight, Nero.”

_Nero’s breath hitches audibly. Dante doesn’t comment._

_Nero lays in the darkness listening to Dante’s deep breathing. He rubs his eyes, surprised at feeling traces of wetness under his claws._

Nero, whispering:

“Goodnight, old man.”

**Act III, Scene 3**

_It’s early in the morning when Dante and Nero leave the village. Sanctus’ castle is the valley a few hours away from it. They travel by foot with Nero hiding between trees when they spot other people. Dante comments how empty the road to Sanctus’ place is._

Nero:

“People avoid wizards if they can. I thought you knew that much.”

_Dante doesn’t answer. He looks uninterested but Nero remembers he has looked the same way before killing the other demon. He feels some shift in the air coming from Dante and suddenly Dante grabs at his robe._

Dante:

“Wait.”

_Dante pulls out from a pocket it his coat a piece of paper. Yesterday, Dante has told Nero those were spells he was taught by his witch friend._

_Nero watches in silence how Dante kneels and puts on the slip on the ground. He touches it with two fingers, sparks of red energy engulfs his hand. It shots to the paper and then spreads all over the path in front of them. Abruptly, stony spikes erupt all over the path and Dante stands up, brushing his hands against his coat in satisfaction._

Dante:

“I thought something was wrong. This is a kind of primitive trap, don’t you think?”

Nero:

“Maybe it’s for smaller demons? Sanctus may not know we’re coming for him.”

_Dante nods. Together, they go down the path, avoiding spikes. _

_Soon they are in front of the gates to the castle. Dante pulls out more of slips of paper. He lightens them up with his magic and throws them at the gate; it explodes. _

Nero:

“Didn’t you say something about a surprise?”

Dante, grinning:

“Oops? But I think the old fart knows we’re coming. Let’s make as much noise as we want before he graces us with his presence.”

_They walk into the palace. They spot a terrified maid in the corner of the hall who screams when she sees them, and runs away. Dante stands in the centre of the room, waving his hands up._

Dante:

“Hey, Sanctus! Are you there? I brought you a present!”

_Silence. Nero walks to Dante._

Nero:

“I think I know where he is.”

Dante, looking with surprise at Nero:

“You do?”

_Nero nods with a solemn look on his inhuman face. He looks down at Dante and for the first time in his life Dante doesn’t mind the fact that he must look up at someone’s face. _

_He will gladly look up and stare at Nero’s pretty, demonic face._

Nero:

“I can feel my heart nearby. I’m sure he is guarding it.”

_Dante takes his sword from his back and grips it tightly. Then, he puts his hand on Nero’s shoulder and squeezes it in comfort. _

Dante:

“As soon as we get to that place, I want you to focus on getting your heart back. I’ll take on Sanctus myself.”

Nero, shocked:

“You can’t do it! You have no idea how powerful—”

_Nero stops speaking when Dante’s whole form suddenly bursts into flames. He blinks and suddenly Dante doesn’t look like a human anymore, but a demon. He’s taller than Nero, all black and red, with a set of wings. Even his eyes are burning like fire. The air in the room trembles under his power and, for some reason, Nero leans his head back, baring his throat._

Dante:

“I’m quite powerful myself. Let’s go.”

*

_Nero leads Dante down to the basement. He can feel the calling of his own heart and it makes him anxious. They find two more traps which Dante easily dispatches with his little spells._

_Soon they are standing in front of a heavy, metal door. Nero practically vibrates in his spot. He’s so close—!_

_Dante touches the tip of his sword against the door._

Dante:

“Let’s get this party started, shall we?”

_Before Dante hits the door, they open. Both demons look at each other before nodding and going inside, wary of traps. _

_They are in an oval room illuminated by gleaming stones. On the other side there is a tall platform with a wooden case on it. Against the platform leans a beautiful sword with crimson’s handle._

Nero:

“Red queen...”

Dante:

“So he kept your sword, huh? Looks to be in good condition.”

Nero:

“Dad said the blade was made with magic to protect against spells. Maybe it’s what keeps it from rusting.”

Dante:

“Didn’t really help you, huh?”

_Nero points his finger at Dante, a low growl rumbling in his throat._

Nero:

“He surprised me, okay? I didn’t expect to be attacked at my _birthday party._”

_Suddenly, a new voice rings in the room._

Stranger:

“Shouldn’t a warrior be always ready to defend himself?”

_A surge of power erupts in front of them. In a blink of the eyes appears an old man dressed in dark robes of a wizard, holding a cane. His blind eyes are turned to Dante and Nero._

Sanctus:

“I see you’re finally here. Good.”

Dante:

“’See’ is a little too much, don’t you think?”

_Dante points his sword at Sanctus._

“We came here for the kid’s heart. Kindly move your ass aside so I don’t have to slice it.”

_Nero gasps hearing how boldly Dante speaks to Sanctus, remembering how the wizard has cursed him for less._

Sanctus:

“You still can go away, hunter. This is between me and the demon.”

Dante, through clenched teeth:

“You made it between us when you gave me a fake job.”

_Sanctus ponders over Dante’s words._

Sanctus:

“I hired you to kill a demon. I fail to see how it was, as you put it, a fake job.”

_Dante’s demonic face spreads in a smile. The sight of it sends shivers down Nero’s back._

Dante:

“Yeah, a demon not a human.”

Sanctus:

“The beast next to you is in no shape or form a human. But you aren’t one either.”

_From the wide sleeves of his robe, Sanctus draws a wand. A sword materializes in his other hand._

Sanctus:

“Today, I will get rid of two beasts.”

_Sanctus rushes towards them. Dante throws a spell which the wizard cuts without a problem, but he barely avoids getting hit by Nero’s astral wing. With Dante using his spells, they manage to counter Sanctus’ curses but Nero cannot get past the wizard to run to the platform._

_Sanctus chants a spell in language Nero and Dante doesn’t know. Suddenly, the ground under their feet is trembling. Dante grabs Nero and they both fly up before floor changes into a bed of burning thorns under them. Flames are flickering up around the platform with wooden case, almost touching it. Nero feels how the empty space in his chest aches._

_Dante sees the danger of losing Nero’s heart too. He squeezes Nero tight._

Dante:

“Do you trust me?”

Nero, without hesitation:

“Yes.”

Dante:

“Then hold onto me tight and jump when I tell you.”

_Before Nero nods, Dante flies towards Sanctus on full speed. The wizard points his sword and his wand at them, his lips already forming another deadly curse. Dante uses the last of his own spells to freeze the curse Sanctus is preparing. The strength of Dante’s demonic powers used for that charm make the whole room tremble and it makes Dante’s lose his demonic form. _

Dante:

“Nero, now!”

_Nero jumps above Sanctus before Dante crashes into him. Without looking back, Nero jumps through the flames to the platform. Flames burn him more than usual though._

Nero, thinking:

“It must be because they’re magical. Normal fire doesn’t burn me so easily.”

_Nero reaches the platform, almost crying from relief. He turns towards Dante and feels how his blood freezes. _

_The last spell obviously has tired out Dante so much he hasn’t moved after crashing into Sanctus. Nero watches how Sanctus throws Dante’s unmoving body away with a spell._

Sanctus:

“I thought I’d kill the boy first.”

_Sanctus walks towards Dante with a raised sword. Nero has only seconds to react. Panicked, he looks at the wooden case._

Nero, thinking:

“There is no place safe from the fire in this room. I could take it and run away but Dante... I can’t leave him!”

_Blindly, Nero reaches behind himself to grab the Red Queen and he uses his astral wings to push himself away from the floor, to reach Sanctus faster. He feels how flames are burning his skin and hair, but he is only focused at reaching Dante._

_Nero lands in front of Dante with his word raised, parrying Sanctus’ attack. Nero is breathing hard, his empty chest hurting more and more. Through flames he sees how the case with his heart is burning and yet he knows he’d save Dante’s life again if gives a choice._

Sanctus, raising his wand again:

“Fool! You should have run!”

_Nero stands in front of Dante’s trembling form in a defensive position, years of sword practice coming back to him in seconds. _

Nero:

“I won’t let you hurt Dante!”

_Sanctus waves his hand in a circle and flames around them disappear. Dante gets onto his hands and knees, looking up at Nero with a pale face._

Dante:

“Nero, you should... you should run. I’ll... I’ll be good... in a moment.”

Nero, trembling from pain:

“Shut up, old man. I’m not leaving you.”

_Sanctus’ eyes narrow._

Sanctus:

“May, aren’t you a loyal prince?”

Nero, raising his sword higher:

“Come closer and I’ll show you how loyal I am. I’m not leaving Dante behind.”

Sanctus:

“Are you willing to die for him? For a complete stranger?”

_Nero doesn’t even think for a second before he answers Sanctus’ question._

Nero:

“In a heartbeat.”

_A light explodes in the room. Dante clenches his eyes shut. He thinks he hears Nero screaming but there is buzzing sound ringing in his ears and blocking everything._

_Dante opens his eyes slowly, blinking rapidly. He gets onto his knees, wincing._

Dante, thinking:

“Shit, Lady was right. Using a combination of human and demonic magic is a little too much in a longer run.”

_Dante looks around himself. The room is back to its previous state: there are tiles back on the floor and there are no flames. Sanctus is nowhere to be seen too. Dante looks around himself, searching for Nero. _

_He freezes when he looks behind himself._

Dante, in a voice full of awe:

“Oh.”

_The floor behind him is covered in blue roses and in the middle of them is laying a naked form of a young male, curled around a long sword with a crimson handle. His long, white hair lay around his head like a halo. _

_Dante knows it’s Nero. The shape of his lips and eyes, that oval of his face and this hair is almost identical to how Nero has looked like a demon. _

_Dante stands up, his muscles hurting with every move, and he walks to Nero, unable to turn his gaze away. Nero does look like a charmed prince from a fairytale right now, with porcelain skin and parted lips, asking to be kissed awake. _

_All Dante does though is taking his coat off and draping it over Nero._

Dante, softly:

“You can get cold now.”

_A wizard in white robe appears behind Dante. Dante turns away quickly feeling someone’s presence, aiming his guns at the stranger._

Dante, with a growl:

“What do you want, wizard?”

_The wizard pushes the hood of its robe back, revealing a face of a young woman with brown, doe-like eyes and auburn hair. She smiles at Dante._

Wizard:

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, hunter.”

_Dante shifts his stance, standing between Nero and the wizard._

Dante:

“We just fought with one of your kind so forgive me for not believing you, miss...?”

_The wizard takes a step closer but stops moving when Dante audibly unblocks safety pulls on his guns. She is still smiling though._

Wizard:

“My name is Kyrie. I know you fought my father, but I see the prince won.”

_Dante stares at the wizard in bewilderment._

Dante:

“The old fart is your father?”

Kyrie, gently:

“Please, don’t call him that. I know my father is difficult—”

Dante:

“He hexed someone into being a demon, tricked me into killing said hexed human, and then tried to kill us both. I’m sorry, miss, but ‘difficult’ doesn’t cut it.”

_Hearing Dante’s words, Kyrie visibly loses her composure. She looks more than sad now._

Kyrie:

“I know. I’ve been trying to reason with him since he cursed Nero but he didn’t listen. In the first place, he was thinking about killing Nero for refusing his offer. I asked him to change that form of punishment.”

_Dante’s eyes gleam dangerously._

Dante:

“I almost forgot how prideful and spiteful you wizards once were. No wonder humans got fed up with you... Aren’t many of you left now, huh?”

Kyrie, in a hard voice:

“We were taught a valuable lesson.”

_Nero stirs in his slumber, murmuring something under his breath. They both look at him._

Kyrie:

“Father won’t be a problem for you anymore. Nero broke the curse. I can check on his vitals if you let me.”

_Still looking suspiciously at the wizard, Dante nods. Kyrie comes closer to them and kneels next to Nero with her back to Dante, showing her trust in him. She hovers her hand over Nero’s head for a second before nodding to herself._

Kyrie:

“He appears to be in good condition, just tired. He should awake soon too.”

_Dante finally sighs and hides his guns back._

Dante:

“What you said before... How Nero regained his heart? I remember seeing the case burning.”

Dante, thinking:

“Stupid boy came for your rescue instead of getting what you both came here for.”

_Kyrie smiles cheekily at Dante._

Kyrie:

“Before he was turned, Nero spent most of his time chasing after demons. He was loved by his people but he himself did not spare a thought to anything what he couldn’t kill.”

_She stands up, brushing petals from her robe. A few of them fall onto Nero’s face and into his hair, and that sight alone takes Dante’s breath away. Kyrie’s smile deepens._

Kyrie:

“Making Nero regain his heart was never about physically taking it back.”

Dante, taken aback:

“What?”

_The wizard giggles, making her sound much younger than what wisdom in her eyes speak of her age._

Kyrie, teasingly:

“Oh, I think you know.”

_Nero stirs again, squinting his eyes. Kyrie moves back and Dante takes her place, whispering slowly to Nero; he doesn’t notice when Kyrie disappears._

Dante, worryingly:

“Nero, are you okay?”

_Nero opens looks at Dante. His eyes are in the same shade of blue like roses around him. He blinks owlishly, a soft smile spreading over his lips. He looks overjoyed to see Dante._

Nero:

“You’re alive. I thought—”

_Nero stops talking. His voice sounds different, less growling-like and it surprises him. Nero sits up, Dante’s coat sliding down off his lithe frame and pooling on his hips. _

_Nero stares at his very human hands in awe. Gently, he touches his own head. Tears prickle in his eyes when he doesn’t feel thorns under his fingers._

Nero:

“I... I’m human again.”

_Dante nods, grinning happily. He’s pleasantly surprised when Nero throws himself at him, hugging him tight. Dante hugs him back, tangling one of his hands in Nero’s hair._

Dante:

“You did it.”

_Dante cradles Nero’s face against his chest. He pretends he doesn’t feel how wet his shirt gets._

Nero:

“I don’t understand how. My heart burnt.”

Dante:

“There was another wizard. She said something about choosing to fight for others, I guess.”

_Nero looks up at Dante with puzzled expression._

“But I fought for others before. Even after Sanctus hexed me, I helped humans with fighting off demons.”

_Dante feels how his cheeks get hot. He untangles his hand from Nero’s hair and touches Nero’s own with it. Nero’s eyes widen, his lips form a little ‘o’._

Dante:

“It’s a wild guess but... Before, you chose to fight with your mind and when you chose to help me you did that with your heart, didn’t you?”

_Dante and Nero are both blushing now but none of them tries to move away. They are content to just sit like that, embracing each other._

_Nero touches lets go of holding Dante and touches delicately Dante’s face. There is so much _fondness_ in his expression it makes Dante’s breath hitch._

Nero:

“I just didn’t want you to die.”

_Nero slides his fingers over Dante’s cheek. His eyes are gleaming with more tears._

Nero, adds in a whisper:

“I’d do it again, you know?”

_Dante pulls Nero closer and never wants to let go of him._

Dante:

“You’re impossible.”

Nero:

“And you’re the worst hunter, I know of, old man. Since when hunters flirt with their prey?”

Dante:

“It happens when their prey is just irresistible.” 

_Dante’s arms tighten around Nero._

Dante: 

“I’m going to kiss you now, prince.”

_Nero angles his head up, laughter bubbling in his throat._

“You better.”

_Dante leans his head down and does just that._

**End of Act III**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naked, long-haired Nero laying on a bed of roses is one of the most indulgent things I’ve ever put in a fic. Don’t @ me, you know he’d look good with rose petals adorning his hair. And I let you know I started to giggle like a madman when I decided to make Kyrie Sanctus's daughter :D


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All's well that ends well

**Epilogue**

_The room is filled with sunlight. On a big bed under a window rests Dante and Nero. Nero is snuggling under Dante’s arm, watching the sleeping hunter. Their hands are entwined, laying on Dante’s chest and Nero smiles, seeing how sunlight shines in gold rings on their fingers._

_Dante stirs in his sleep, his breathing becoming shallow. He stretches slightly, without disturbing Nero._

Dante:

“Is it morning already?”

Nero: 

“It is, but you can sleep a little longer.”

_Dante smiles, and, without opening his eyes he slides his arm around Nero and pulls him closer, making Nero almost lay on himself._

Dante:

“Good.”

_Nero looks at their rings again and then back at Dante’s peaceful face. He thinks about the years he spent as a demon, in exile, hiding away from everyone. He thinks how happy he is now, in this new life with Dante. _

_Nero presses a quick kiss against Dante’s chest._

Nero: 

“I agree.”

** _Fin_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My twitter](http://twitter.com/firebyfire) if you want to talk ^^

**Author's Note:**

> _Saudade_ means yearning for something what is lost.
> 
> Visit me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/firebyfire) where I mostly post about Danero, thirst over Dante, and post some Spardacest.


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